By: William Burns
If you are any sort of sports fan, you are already planning for what you are going to do when you are watching the Super Bowl. You have already picked out the snacks you are going to have, and the friends you want to be with. You may even be thinking about making bets on who will win. In case you haven’t been paying attention, here is just a short preview about who is playing in this year’s Super Bowl.
On one side we have the New England Patriots, and on the other side, we have the Los Angeles Rams. It is shaping up like New England fans will be outnumbered since everyone else has jumped on the Rams’ bandwagon just in the hope of seeing Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick lose and not win another Super Bowl title.
On February 3, the 11-5 Patriots will take on the 13-3 Rams. Just judging by their records, the Rams should have the edge here. However, this might not be the case. New England quarterback Tom Brady and coach Bill Belichick have been to nine Super Bowls together, so they know the drill and are no strangers to the pressure. This is more appearances than any other quarterback-coach combination in the NFL, which kind of helps out…a lot.
The Patriots need to watch out for Aaron Donald, the Rams’ star defensive tackle. Donald led the league in sacks this season with 20.5 sacks and was a major force in the Rams’ stellar season. The Patriots’ offensive line is solid though, and when it comes down to the wire, they can protect their quarterback. They also have not faced Donald this year so it will be interesting to see how the offensive line can keep that monster away from their aging quarterback.
The stats from the Brady-Belichick era can help us a lot in this discussion because the era started way back in 2000. Historically speaking, the run game has been the key to success. This means they have had a well-balanced offense. Since 2000, the Patriots are 11-0 in the postseason when they have a running back rush for over 100 yards in the game. In fact, they are 51-1 in the regular season with the same situation. This year they have a solid duo of running backs in Sony Michel and James White, who have helped the Patriots greatly in the run game and getting crucial receptions in the playoffs.
Tom Brady will be Tom Brady this Super Bowl. He is 41 years old, and the man has no intention of slowing down. He is posting statistics consistent with his career and is as healthy as ever. He also is great under pressure. In Brady’s career, he has had 35 comebacks, and 44 game-winning drives. Even if the Rams jump out to a quick lead early, the Patriots will definitely still be in the game.
Jared Goff, quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams, is a mere 24 years old and has nowhere close to the amount of experience as Brady. When looking at his season statistics though, he has been getting much better every season since he started playing. This young quarterback has been putting up similar numbers to Brady this season and has shown that he is quite capable of winning games.
Head coach Sean McVay is in his second year coaching the Rams, but he has proven to be an offensive genius. This young coach has never played in a game this big, but in the past two seasons, he showed how innovative he is with the offense and how adept he is with his play calling. McVay has many weapons in his offense including the aforementioned Jared Goff, a stellar duo in Todd Gurley and C.J. Anderson, and two 1,000-plus-yard receivers in Brandon Cooks and Robert Woods. Recently, he has figured out how to keep defenses on edge and disorganized by utilizing every single one of them.
There is no doubt that this Rams team lacks experience. Only two starters have any Super Bowl experience. It will be imperative for them to get over their nerves quickly, or it will be a long, brutal night for them.
The Rams only lost three regular-season games this season, and it is clear why. In those three games Goff had seven turnovers. If Goff stays steady and doesn’t slip up, the Patriots’ defense will have a tough time stopping him. It is also important to know how good Goff is at the play-action. He has the most play-action pass attempts this season, and in the NFC championship game vs. the Saints, he completed 10-12 play- action passes for 108 yards and a touchdown.
Both these teams have a stellar group of guys competing their hearts out for a title. On one side you have the veterans of the game looking to add to their dynasty, and on the other, you have the young men looking to prove themselves. Could this be the end of the legendary Brady-Belichick era, or will experience rule the day and take home yet another title?
